Psalm 22 is a fascinating prayer. Our Lord Jesus Christ keeps going back and forth in His prayer. First, He’s sharing His troubles with God; then He’s listening as God speak to Him through His word, the Bible. First, Jesus spoke about being forsaken and God not listening; then He recalled the times God faithfully delivered the people of Israel who called upon Him in their need. Now Jesus goes back to sharing His pain and sufferings with His God.

In these verses we see the incredible accuracy of this psalm as detail after detail of Jesus’ crucifixion unfolds, beginning with Jesus calling Himself a worm and not a man. If you were to stand and watch a person hanging from a cross you would be reminded of a worm wriggling and writhing in pain. The crucified victim twists and turns His body seeking some relief from the excruciating agony.

Yet the prophecy goes far deeper than Jesus’ physical sufferings. It speaks how His enemies think of Him. They refuse to treat Him with the common decency and dignity any human deserves, treating Him instead as though He was a contemptible worm to be crushed underfoot.

When the mighty Son of God became man He was already taking an incredible step down. But when He surrendered Himself to arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, He stepped even lower-exposing Himself to mockery, scorn, torment, torture, even crucifixion itself.

He humbled Himself in loving obedience to His Father’s will, and in an undying concern for your salvation.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, You are Lord and God of all. Yet, You humbled Yourself as though You were a worm, not even a man. Receive my humble gratitude and praise. Amen.